Together, but not United
by Zaith Falken
Summary: Sequel to Fallen Angel. Six Years later, Zaith returns to the Titans, finding Raven with someone else. But he has more important things to worry about. Rated R for possible stuff, not too sure though. Sorry for the wait.
1. Welcome Wagon

Hey, it's Zaith Falken again. Sorry that its been awhile since i last posted a story, but I had lots of things to do. Anyway, this new story is about six years later (assuming that everyone was about sixteen). Also, my other character, Vlade (the f'd up brother), Terra, and a character named Shadow (whom i have permission to use thanks to Shadow12002) are also in this story. Feel free to read Shadow12002's stuff alright. Anyway, now to reading.

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Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans, but I do watch the show.

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Chapter 1: Welcome Wagon

Raven woke to the morning sunlight, which danced through the dark drapes in the room. She yawned lightly, and when she tried to raise herself from her bed, she remembered that she had slept with her friend that night.

She ran her fingers gently through the black hair of her companion, whom she was a bit fond of. Slowly, the man awoke to Raven's stroking. He yawned lightly, the looked Raven in the eyes.

"Good morning, Shadow." Raven said in a joyful tone.

"Good morning, Raven." The one called replied. He gave a small smile to Raven, who was still stroking his hair.

After a moment, Raven stopped running her fingers through Shadow's hair and held him tightly in her arms. As she held him in her arms, Raven took a deep breath, taking in the aroma that was Shadow.

'I can't get enough of you.' Raven thought to herself.

'Why, thank you.' Shadow replied telepathically.

"Stop intruding on my thoughts, Shadow." Raven said as she slapped the back of Shadow's head.

"Alright, I'm sorry." Shadow said, as he tried to defend himself from the slap Raven gave him.

Quickly, Shadow sat upright, and then got off of the bed. He walked into Raven's bathroom and closed the door behind him. Raven could hear the sound of running water come from her bathroom, and she instantly knew that Shadow was about to take a shower.

Raven was now twenty two, as she and the other Titans had aged through the years. They still found themselves fighting Slade and the other villains constantly, but they had a few new allies to rely on.

Terra had been revived from her stone imprisonment sometime after Zaith had left the Titans. Although the Titans were somewhat angry with her for betraying them, Terra was still forgiven for her deeds. She decided to stay with the Titans, as she felt she owed them for more then just saving her life.

Vlade had begun to remember what he had been doing while he was his evil self, and to repent for his sins, he decided to help the Titans in anyway he could. He trained with Robin (who now called himself Night Wing) for much of his Titan career, as he had lost many of the skills he had when he was evil. He still trained with Night Wing daily, but as more of his mind became unlocked to him, the more techniques Vlade remembered.

As for Zaith, the Titans hadn't heard from him since he left years ago. After six years of waiting for him to return, Raven had given up waiting for Zaith. Raven sometimes remembered the nights they spent together, and often cried herself to sleep for the previous six years.

Fortunately, Shadow was able to cheer her up recently. Being the long lost brother of Terra, as well as her only living relative, she recommended him after another fight with Slade that left Night Wing battered and broken. Having powers similar to those of Raven's, Shadow is a valuable ally to the Titans.

After a quick, yet relaxing shower, Shadow stepped out of Raven's bathroom. He was dressed in his usual super hero attire, black jeans, a black t-shirt, a dark blue cloak that greatly resembled Raven's, and a pair of all black Vans shoes. His short black hair (which shone blue due to the angle of the sunlight) seemed to compliment his clothing nicely.

"About time." Raven said as she rose from the bed and walked into her bathroom.

"Well, sorry. I was only in there for five minuets." Shadow said sarcastically.

Raven took a quick shower as well, and then rejoined Shadow in her room. At the moment, he was hovering next to Raven's bed, apparently meditating. Quietly, Raven snuck up behind him and wrapped her arms around his slightly muscular body, hugging him gently.

At this gesture, Shadow slowly lowered himself onto the floor, and then placed his right hand onto Raven's left forearm. He then turned his head to the left, meeting Raven's gaze. After a moment, Raven lowered her head onto Shadow's shoulder, and then began to speak.

"Thank you, Shadow."

"For what?"

"For being there for me."

Raven then released her grasp on Shadow and stood up, then slowly walked out of the room. Shadow stood up as well, and followed Raven out of the room.

The two made their way down to the lobby area, where they found the other Titans having breakfast. From the looks of things, Terra had decided to cook, while Beast Boy and Cyborg were arguing on whether to have Tofu or actual eggs and bacon.

"Dude, I've been most of the animals that meat comes from. We are going to have Tofu!" Beast Boy said.

"Man, no one wants your Tofu." Cyborg said.

"Well I do."

Night Wing was busy watching the morning news at the moment, while Star Fire was busy hanging over him. Star Fire was obviously very fond of Night Wing, but she was too shy to tell him.

"Alright, guys. Breakfast is done." Terra said, holding two large skillets full of eggs and bacon.

The entire team went over to the counter and sat down on the stools, as they waited to be served. Terra quickly placed a plate full of breakfast in front of each member, and made a special plate of Tofu for Beast Boy. The team gave into their hunger and began to dig into their food.

"Mornin', Raven and Shadow. Want breakfast?"

"Sure, sis." Shadow said sat down into one of the stools.

Raven followed Shadow and sat next to him. Terra served them, and then sat down to eat her own meal. The team quickly finished their food, but at Cyborg and Beast Boy were the first ones to finish, they hurried over to the T.V. and turned on the 'Game-Station'. As they played their game, the two's hollering could be heard at the top floor of the Tower.

"So, what should we do for the day?" Star Fire asked in a curious tone.

"Well, we could go to the mall." Night Wing said.

"Yes, the mall of shopping is a very interesting place. It is a very joyous place to be, wouldn't you agree, Terra?" Star Fire said enthusiastically.

"Yeah, Star Fire. It's just jumping with joy." Terra replied sarcastically.

"I think I'll stay and train for a bit." Vlade said.

"Well, normally I'd pass, but I have nothing better to do." Shadow said.

"If Terra is going, then count me in." Beast Boy said, taking his eyes off of the game for a few seconds.

"BOOYAH!" Cyborg said, as he took advantage of Beast Boy's situation and beat him. Alright, why not. If BB is going then I wont' anything to do."

"Then to the mall of shopping it is!" Star Fire said, joyous at how she could go to the mall with her friends.

The six Titans then got up and began to walk towards the large doors that were the exit. The Titans left through the door, leaving Vlade to his daily training routine.

-One hour later-

Vlade, whom at the moment was wearing white karate gee pants with a black tank top, was outside on the beach of the island, which served as the training are for the Titans. With sword in hand, he trained against several robot dummies, which were programmed in many different sword fighting styles. Vlade usually found the higher level programs harder to train with, as fighting against five professional robot warriors was no easy task.

Sweat could be seen trickling down his face as he began to anticipate the move of each robot. The attacks were not final, so Vlade had to be careful not to mess up; the robots used sharpened sword, and if he messed up, it could cost him his life.

Slowly, the robot to Vlade's right began to charge at him. He quickly turned and slapped the sword away from him using his own. Then, noticing that one of the robots the was behind him charged as well, while another one jumped upwards, readying itself for a downward slash. Vlade turned to his right and dodged the attack from the charging robot. Then he rolled to his left, avoiding the sword from the falling robot.

Just then, the robots stopped moving, and a siren could be heard coming from the tower. Vlade rushed into the tower to see what the problem was. Once inside, he went over to a panel by T.V. and began to click buttons wildly. He eventually came to a security video that showed where problem was. It's location, Titans Tower: lobby area.

Vlade was shocked, as he did not see anyone when he entered the room. He quickly looked around, and then saw what he hadn't earlier. A stranger was looking around the room, almost in astonishment. He held onto a large, black duffle bag, which seemed filled to the brim.

As the stranger continued to look around the room, Vlade became very curious as to what the stranger wore. From the rear, a faded blue denim jacket could be seen on the stranger's torso. From the waist down, a set of matching denim pants complimented his jacket. The stranger wore a regular pair of work boots, and a set of black leather gloves decorated his hands. His hair was long, black, and un-kept, giving him a very rugged appearance.

"Who are you?" Vlade said, somewhat annoyed at how someone would jut waltz into the Tower.

The stranger turned around, noticing where Vlade stood.

"Oh, hey there Vlade, long time no see." The stranger said enthusiastically.

"I said, who are you?"

"Come on, you don't remember me?"

"Wait… no way, you can't be…" Vlade said, as he began to delve into his mind.

Then, the sound of breaking wood came from the entrance doors. Dust was kicked up along with the sound, and as the dust settled, the Titans could be seen standing there, in the traditional super hero poses.

"I don't know who you are, but you made a bad mistake coming here." Night Wing said clearly, so as both the Titans and the stranger could hear. "Titan's, Go!"

"Wait, guys this is jus a misunderstanding. There's no need to resort to violence." The stranger said.

Suddenly, a Cy-blast came to just above the strangers head. The stranger rolled out of the way, finding himself behind the counter the Titans had eaten on this morning. Unfortunately, the stranger left his bag where he was previously.

"Listen to me, there is no need to fight." The stranger pleaded, hoping they would stop their assault and listen to reason.

"I don't know, a guy who comes into the Tower and tries to steel stuff from us sounds like a pretty good reason to me." Shadow said.

"I'm an ally alright. I just haven't been here in awhile." The stranger said, who was still pinned behind the counter. "Come on, Raven, you know me better then that."

"What!" Raven said aloud. "Guys, hold your fire."

"Are you cra-." Night Wing said.

"Do it!" Raven exclaimed. The Titans did as she said lowering all hands and weapons. " Shadow, lift him up."

"Alright." Shadow said, as he moved his hand forward and began to raise the stranger off of the ground.

"H-hey guys, long time no see." The stranger said.

"Now I remember. Zaith, is that you?" Vlade exclaimed.

"WHAT!" the other Titans said, completely confused as to what Vlade just said.

"Yeah, that's me. I have returned." The one called Zaith said.

"Wait, no this can't be right… But… Why?" Raven said, even mo0re confused then before.

"Uhh… Yeah, about that… I didn't plan on b being gone for so long." Zaith said as he rubbed the back of his head. "Um, can you put me down now?"

"Yeah, sure." Shadow said, as he immediately released his magic.

"Listen, I'm sure there is a lot of things we need to catch up. So why don't we just sit down and talk, alright?"

"Sure, lets' talk." Raven said.

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Yet again, I ask that you send me a review saying what could use work. And if it sucked, then I'm sorry, i did the best I could, but i was on medication.


	2. Explanations and Excuses

Chapter 2 is now up. It's actually the shortest chapter I've written to date, though it took me the longest (sort of). Any way, I hope you enjoy.

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Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans, but I do watch the show. Also, any references to people, places, or companies are strictly for fictional purposes and have not bearing in real life situations.

Chapter 2: Explanations and Excuses

Zaith began dusting himself off, scattering the dust he had collected from rolling across the floor earlier. Then, he slowly walked across the room until he was in front of the television that the Titans used so much. He turned around when he felt confident enough to talk, finding that the Titans were all sitting on the sofa, waiting for his explanation. Zaith cleared his throat, and then began to speak.

"Let's see now. Where should I begin?" Zaith said.

"Why not at the beginning." Night Wing said almost immediately.

"I suppose your right." Zaith said, looking Night Wing in the eye (if that's possible, considering the mask). "Well, at first I simply left to have some time to myself. It was too much for me to think that Vlade was being possessed or something like that."

"But you said a week or two." Raven said just as he finished his last sentence.

"I know what I said, Raven. I decided to stop at Ocean Point City, on the eastern coast of Florida. There, I spent two weeks thinking about what had happened. As my mind became clearer and my thoughts more rational, I began to see what was going on around the city."

"And what was that?" Beast Boy said, interrupting Zaith.

"I saw all the crime and violence that wasn't shown on the T.V. It was horrible, civilians being killed for pocket change and cops being killed for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Little by little, I began to help the people, starting with a small bar called Simple Pleasures. A bar fight broke out, and the police were un able to get in, due to the amount of people the hell out of each other. I just happened to be inside the bar at the time, so I took the liberty of knocking everyone out, stopping the fight. Two years later, the crime rate decreased dramatically, and I was the number one crime fighter in the city."

"Wait, two years? What about the other four years, man?" Cyborg said, somewhat confused.

"Yes, well there is more. Throughout the two years I was in Ocean Point, I had only fought small minded crooks and burglars, not like the super villains you guys fight almost daily. The police began to get the training and equipment needed to hold down the crimes, so my assistance was little needed. That suited me fine, as by that time, I had learned of a weapons master in Japan who was said to know how to appropriately wield every melee weapon known to man. I sought this weapons master out, and eventually came upon a small training ground, deep within the mountains of Japan."

"So you trained with the master, huh." Night Wing said.

"Yes, the journey up the mountain was arduous, but I managed the bear, the snake, and the monkey, as well as climb the mountain before nightfall. Once I made it up the mountain, the master said that she would like to challenge me before she would train me. I said I would not fight a lady, let alone an old lady, as I have a kind heart. The master did not find a reason to not fight me, and thus took my kindness and used it to her advantage. With her staff in hand, she attacked me while my guard was down, knocking me off my feet. Needless to say, after that, the gloves were off. Old lady or no, I was fighting."

"Wait, if you were fighting an old lady, then why would you need to train with her?" Star Fire asked.

"The master was no ordinary old lady. It would seem after years of training and teaching others, she has overcome the physical limits of age, thus retaining most of her strength. The fight with the master left me fairly damaged, and when I next woke, I found myself in the home of the master three days later. I still had wounds and bruises from the fight, but I was able to walk. For two years after that, I trained with the master rigorously, learning many different styles of fighting in most types of weapons."

"And what of the last two years that you have been away for?" Shadow asked.

"Well, after all the training, I left Japan and went back to Ocean Point to see what it was like since I left. Unfortunately, after I left many criminals came out of the wood work, including many that would be equivalent to those of the one here. I to deal with many villains who could change size, blend into shaded areas, use playing cards as destructive weapons, and other villains. This is definitely not something easy to do by yourself, but I managed."

"So that's what's been happening for the last six years." Cyborg said.

"Yes, and after each criminal had been arrested, I even created cells for each criminal to make sure that they wouldn't be able to use their abilities. After doing that, I got on my motorcycle and came all the way back here."

"So throughout the last six years, you couldn't give us a call?" Raven said, somewhat annoyed at his story.

"Sorry about that. I tried to, but by the time I did, the communicator died. I tried sending it to you guys, but if it never came then I guess UPS lost it."

"Uhh, when was the last time we checked our mail?" Beast Boy asked, looking over to Cyborg.

"I don't think we've ever checked it." Cyborg said in a dismal tone

The two continued to look at each other, motionless. Then suddenly the two said at once "I'LL GET IT!" The two then rushed out of the tower in search of the nearest post office (considering the fact that they live on a small island, they don't have a mailbox).

"Is that all you have to say?" Raven said as she stood up, fists clenched and tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry Raven. I never meant to be gone for so long, but it just happened."

"You just expect me to believe what you're saying and think that every thing is ok? I've waited for six years for you to come back. Six years! Do you know what that's like!" Raven yelled as she began to hover her way up the stairs towards her bedroom, sobbing into her hands as she went.

"Raven, wait." Zaith said as he rushed towards the stairs, only to be cut off by Shadow.

"Give her some time." He said.

"She's had too much time. She probably thinks I don't love her anymore." Zaith said.

"What are you talking about?" Shadow said in a confused tone.

Just then, the door crashed open yet again, as both Cyborg and Beast Boy entered the room. They held two very large stacks of mail in their arms, which they laid down onto the table in front of the sofa. The table's legs began to wobble from the massive weight, and soon the legs snapped, and the surface fell to the ground.

"Whoa, this is our mail?" Vlade said, baffled at the sight. The others, to confused, simply allowed their jaws to fall to the ground.

"Yep, all six thousand, two hundred, and eighty seven pieces of it." Cyborg said.

"I wonder how much of this mail I have gotten." Star Fire said as she practically dove into the heap.

"Slow down Star Fire, you'll find out soon enough." Terra said as she clutched Star Fire foot and stopped her from diving in.

"Listen… Shadow, was it? I have to go and talk to Raven, so move." Zaith said to Shadow as he tried to move around him, only to be blocked again.

"She needs her space right now."

Then the annoyed Zaith grabbed both of Shadow's shoulders and moved him to the side. Zaith hurried up the stairs, as he began to remember where Raven's room was. He made it to the right floor, rushed past his old room, turned the corner, and found the door labeled 'Raven'. Zaith knocked gently on the door, only making enough noise for Raven to hear him.

"Raven, are you in there?"

"Go away." Raven mumbled through her sobs.

"Raven, please lets talk."

"Talk about what? How you left me, how you betrayed your word and left for six years doing some else."

"I'm sorry Raven, but there wasn't anything I could do about that. It's not like I could just watch everything go by when there was something I could do about it."

"Is helping other so much more important then the person you love that you would just blow her off completely?"

"I…" Zaith found himself stuck for words at that comment. He leaned forward and placed his head onto the door, feeling guilty for what he had done. "I'm sorry Raven; sometimes I wished I did come back earlier so that I could see you again. But the more I helped those people, the more I saw how terrible and fearful their lives had been before I came. The guilt would have been too great if I simply ignored them."

"So are you saying, you had the right to just ignore me!"

"No, I don't. But… No there is no buts in the real world, it's either you did or you didn't. I understand if you hate me. All I ask for is your forgiveness. That's all I could ever ask for."

"I… I can't do that, Zaith. Not yet."

"Alright." Zaith said as he began to walk away from Raven's door. "I'm sorry."

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Poor Zaith, he doesn't know everything yet. I guess he'll just have to find out the hard way. Remember, please review me. I even take annonymous reviews.


	3. Long Story Short

I now present Chapter three, so stop whining.

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Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans, but I do watch the show.

Chapter 3: Long Story Short

As Zaith walked away, Raven continued to cry, alone in her dark room. Tears fell from her cheeks onto the floor, like rain drops in a pool of water.

A dark shadow began to swell at the edge of the door, and from the darkness, a shadowy figure appeared. Moments later, the figure was out of the shadows and was visible to the naked eye. The person moved towards the crying Raven and placed a pale hand on her right shoulder.

"Are you alright, Raven?" The figure asked.

Raven gasped as she heard the voice of the figure, never noticing that anyone had entered her room. Frightened, she quickly turned and back handed the figure, then stood up and moved away, readying herself for an attack at any moment.

"Raven, calm down. It's me, Shadow." The figure said.

"But-"

"Hello, the name."

Raven lowered her defenses and began to cry once more, sobbing into her hands. Shadow moved forward and took her into his arms, trying to comfort her.

"It's alright." Shadow said in a soothing tone.

"…It's… ot… lrigh…" Raven mumbled, unable to speak through Shadow's shoulder. He understood what she said, thanks to his telepathy.

Slowly, he walked Raven over to her bed and sat her down. Raven pulled away from Shadow's arms and looked away from his gaze.

"I… I'm being too emotion." Raven said in a monotonous, dull tone.

"Raven, it's normal to have feelings. Everyone has them."

"I'm not supposed to have these feelings! I'm not supposed to feel anything!"

"That's not true. If you weren't supposed to have these feelings, then why do you have them?"

"I…" Raven paused, not knowing the answer to Shadow's question. She knew he was right, but she hated to admit it.

"I understand that you've been hurt, and I want to try and help you. But you have to accept the past, and you have to accept you feelings." Shadow said as he placed his hand on Raven's cheek, turning her face ever so gently towards his own.

"Shadow, I'm-"

"It's alright. Please, tell me what happened between you two."

"…" Raven remained quiet, knowing that explaining her story would only cause her to cry again.

"Raven, please tell me. Otherwise, I can't help you."

"Alright… It all started with this one giant robot…"

- (author's notes: I don't feel like explaining this part in six pages, so if you want to find out, then read Cherry Blossoms, it's where it all begins.)-

"… And after that, Zaith went on to do all those other things he's done over the years." Raven said, finishing her story.

Shadow, who barely managed to keep his jaw from dropping throughout the story, began to speak.

"I have one question."

"Yes?"

"Why did you have sex with the guy?"

"Is that all you can think about?" Raven said, somewhat offended by the comment.

"No, it's not that. It's just, you only knew him for like three days and the two of you were already going past third base."

"Does it matter, we were in love."

"Alright, alright… But answer me this. Do you still… have feelings for him?"

"He… He still holds a place in my heart. Zaith was my first love. But I've lost the love I use to have for him after waiting all that time."

"And of me?" Shadow said.

"I think you already know the answer to that question." Raven said with a wicked smile on her face.

-Elsewhere-

Zaith had made his way down the long flight of stairs and was currently sitting in a chair in the lobby area, thinking of how he had hurt Raven. His eyes stared at the floor, as if ready to shoot holes through it.

Star Fire, in an attempt to cheer Zaith up, decided to make one of her many Tamiranian dishes meant as a cake of good will and fortune. Upon placing the cake on his lap, Zaith simply lifted the plate to his mouth and devoured the cake whole, no chewing, no tasting. The others were amazed to see the feat, as anyone else would simply barf, save Terra who somehow enjoyed Star Fire's cooking. Star Fire made another dish, and another, and another, only to be met with the empty void that was Zaiths' stomach.

"DUDE, HOW DO YOU DO THAT?" Beast Boy yelled, knowing all too well that one slice off Star Fire's cake would probably poison him to death.

"Simple, I just don't care."

"Please, friend Zaith, speak to us. Tell us why you are so 'down in the dumps'." Star Fire said, hoping she used the proper analogy.

"It's because Raven hates me, and I can't blame her. I have been gone for six years after all." Zaith said in despair.

"Wow, man. I've never heard you so depressed." Cyborg said, trying to look Zaith in the eye.

"No offence, but you've barely known me to begin with. I was only a Titan for a week or so."

"Maybe you should go outside and do something. You probably need the fresh air anyway." Night Wing said, attempting to get Zaith to do something.

"Sorry, been outside plenty already."

"Well, we could always watch a movie. We got some killer horror flicks." Terra said, pulling a movie box from behind her.

"No thanks, but horror movies aren't scary."

"Then why don't we initiate a 'group hug'!" Star Fire said, the signs of joy on her cheeks.

Immediately, Star Fire pounced on Zaith, squeezing the life out of him. Or so the other Titans thought. Try as she might, Star Fire could not make Zaith move, not even flinch. After a hug, she tried to pull Zaith out of the chair, but only found his arms movable. She tried to lift the chair so that Zaith would fall to the floor, but he stayed there, as if glued to the chair. After a few minuets of Star Fire's struggling, she gave up and placed the chair upon the floor.

"I… I have never seen so unmoving as you, Zaith. You must truly be a broken hearted person for such a thing to happen, as I am stringer then six blinthogs." Star Fire Said, informing the others of her vast intergalactic knowledge.

"Uhh, what's a blinthog, Star?" Cyborg said.

"I've got nothing better to do, so I think I'll hit the sack. You don't mind if I use one of the spare rooms again, do you?" Zaith said as he stood up from the chair with little effort.

"No problem, just use the one on the eighteenth floor." Night Wing said, watching Zaith carefully.

"Thanks." Zaith said as he walked towards the center of the room, and then picked up the duffle bag that he had dropped earlier. He then made his way towards the stairwell and began to climb the many steps.

"He does know there is an elevator, right?" Terra said, curious as to why he was using the stairs.

"I think he likes the exercise." Night Wing said.

After the somewhat grueling eighteen flights of steps, Zaith finally made it to the floor that Night Wing had directed him to go to. Zaith didn't actually find the stairs to tiresome, but the fact that he continued to run up and down those steps had become somewhat of a nuisance to him.

Zaith eventually came to a door labeled 'SPARE'. The label brought back a memory from the old days, but the memory did not linger long, as he soon entered the room and placed the bag on the ground. He began to unpack, slowly removing several peices of clothing, as well as his silver broad sword, still in it's sheath. He placed the clothing into the simple dresser by the wall, while placeing the sword atop it, making it easy for him to get if he needed it.

"Back to normal... What was I thinking..." Zaith said to himself as he continued to unpack.

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Simple enough... And if you don't feel like doing the research, that's ok, I don't plan on brining much else back. If you were expecting something else from this chapter then o well, because this chapter did what I needed it to, draw out the story.

Anyway, if you have a suggestion or whatever, review me. peace.


	4. Cursed

Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans, but I do watch the show.

Chapter 4: Cursed

Zaith awoke suddenly, feeling the cold air across his body. He rose slowly, finding the thin blanket still covering him. He looked over to the window, and it was shut.

He stood up and began to but his boots on, giving his feet the warmth they wanted. With the chill running up his spine, he put on the denim jacket he hung on his bed post the night from before.

After changing, Zaith walked over to the thermostat on the wall, but noticed it said 75 degrees F.

"75, but it's freezing in here."

Still feeling cold, he buttoned his jacket, and then proceeded to the door. He left the room and headed downstairs. Slowly, he descended to steps that he traveled up and down on the previous day, making his way to every floor.

Upon getting to the sixth floor, a flash of light seemed to reflect off of something on the floor. Zaith knelt down to inspect it, and found it to be a red substance, most likely blood. Zaith then looked forward, and noticed a trail of leading to the next corridor, pooling under the door.

Zaith opened the door to the next hallway, finding blood splattered across the floor and walls. Scratches and cuts imbedded the walls and floor, appearing as though there had been a struggle. Carefully, Zaith bean to walk forward, stepping onto the blood covered floor.

Only a few steps in, and Zaith heard a sinister sounding laugh coming from farther in. Curious, Zaith continued forward. Above, a hallway light flickered, blinding Zaith for a moment. The flickering stopped, and a figure stood before Zaith. The persons long hair hung before them, their head tilted before. The figures cloak was soaked in blood, raising Zaith's eyebrow in curiosity.

"… Are you alright?" Zaith said to the figure.

The figure stood there motionless, ignoring his comment. Zaith moved forward, and as he did, the light above flickered again. A moment later the light died and the figure was gone.

"… Okay… Whatever."

Zaith moved forward again, making his way to the end of the hallway. As Zaith reached for the only exit to the hallway, save the stairwell, he heard the same sinister laugh yet again. This time behind the door Zaith reached for. He grasped the handle of the door again and quickly thrust the door open.

Upon opening the door, a screaming women came rushing toward Zaith, her hands ready to strangle Zaith. He shut the door, frightened by the scream. But as Zaith calmed from the experience he began to wonder why there was no sound when he shut the door on the woman. She was surely close enough to grasp his throat in another moment, and closing the door at that speed would have caused her pain.

Slowly, he reached for the door again, but found a room, brightly lit and decorated by many things. Zaith entered, confused. In the center of the room lied a bed with purple sheets, and a single person lie on the bed. The purple skirt and long tanned legs made identifying her easy.

"Star Fire, are you awake."

Star Fire rose slowly, and the sight scarred the hell out of Zaith. Her arms we deformed, her breasts… weren't there, apparently cut off, and her head seemed charred from fire, her air raised on end, tangle and messy.

"Star Fire, are you alright?"

Suddenly, the room began to change as blood splattered the walls, the floor became black, and spikes began to emerge from the ceiling around Star Fire's bed. As for Star Fire, she morphed into a large, black monster with horns and spikes coming every which way. It stood on all fours and what looked like blood veins glowed blood red.

The creature howled at Zaith, then charged at him. Zaith prepared himself to catch the beast, but if vanished into a cloud a grey smoke in front of him. The room began to mist away, and as the floor faded, Zaith fell into a black void of nothingness.

Moments later, a room formed around him, and from the looks of things it was Raven's room. Raven was lying on her bed, leaning on her arm. She watched Zaith come from the ceiling, and rose from her bed when he landed.

"Zaith are you alright?" She asked, running up to him.

"I'm fine, but what's going on?"

"I can tell you." A voice said behind Zaith.

Zaith turned around, finding a dark figure standing by Raven's door. He wore a black cloak with the hood up, making it hard to see his face.

"Who are you?" Zaith asked.

The figure took off the mask, revealing himself to be Shadow.

"Shadow, what's happening here?"

"Don't worry about it, I have it under control." Shadow said calmly.

"Under control? Are you crazy, Star Fire just turned into some crazy monster and tried to attack me before I floated into Raven's room.

Suddenly, Zaith felt something drive into the back of his left shoulder. He cried out in pain as he fell to the ground. He looked behind him, and found that Raven was driving a knife into him.

"Raven wha-"

Then, another sharp pain came from his chest. He looked forward, finding Shadow to be plunging a katana into his chest. As Zaith gasped for air, he could hear the maniacal laughing of his attackers.

"Your pathetic Zaith, you could never get away from your future." The two said together as they continued to laugh.

Zaith awoke suddenly, gasping for air. He placed a hand to his sweaty forehead, trying to realize what happened.

"It… was a dream."

He sighed, relaxing from the nightmare. It was another bad dream, one that he had been getting for the last three months. Remembering from a while back, he knew that it was actually a premonition of sorts, as a fortune teller would say. Zaith was cursed by some sort of demon that would try to kill him over and again.

"I don't feel like sleeping anymore." He said as he looked at the clock on the wall, finding it to be 1am. He got up, put his boots and his jacket on, and exited the room.

He made his way down the stairs, and found a flash of light reflecting off of a piece of glass on the floor. Several more pieces of glass trailed towards the door to the next hallway. The door was ajar, and as he tried to push the door open, a bucket of water fell in front of him.

Someone's laughter could be heard in the distance. The person turned the corner and revealed himself to be Beast Boy.

"Yes, I got you Cyborg! Wait, you're not Cyborg."

"Of Course I'm not Cyborg. Now what are you doing, trying to prank someone."

"Well ya, note the bucket."

"And how I'm not wet."

"Good point. Bad prank."

"Yeah, now go get some sleep."

"Tried, but I had some creepy nightmare where I ended up getting stabbed the back by Raven and in the front by Shadow."

Zaith, with terror in his eyes spoke to Beast Boy quickly. "Go to bed, NOW!"

"But I don't nee-"

"NOW!"

"Alright, shesh."

And with the Beast Boy went down the hall towards his room.

"I can't let you or the others be cursed like me…I have to do something and fast."

* * *

I don't know why, but this one ended up being very jacked up. I didn't mean for this to happen, but it might give ma a new edge to my story.


	5. Mystery Archer

Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titan's, but I do watch the show. I also don't own Barnes Nobles, Star Bucks, or have any rights to Lord of the Rings.

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Chapter 5: Mystery Archer

"…Zaith…"

"… Friend, wake up…"

"… Zaith…"

Zaith awoke to the calling of his name, finding his friends before him. His eyes flickered open as the light entered the room from the far wall.

"Friend Zaith, are you alright?" Star Fire asked curiously. She was floating in front of Zaith, bending forward to look into Zaith's eyes.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why is something wrong?"

"No, it's just you were sleeping here, instead of your room." Night Wing said, seemingly relieved.

"Don't worry; I must have dozed off here this morning when I came for a glass of water."

Suddenly, Beast Boy and Cyborg came rushing through the hallway and sat just next to Zaith, one on both sides. Suddenly, they began to play their games, ignoring the others. Zaith stood up and began to walk towards the entrance doors.

"Where are you going, Zaith?" Terra asked. She was cooking at the moment, obviously making the teams breakfast once again.

"I've got to clear my mind is all." He replied before walking out through the doors and entering the world outside.

"I wonder what is wrong." Star Fire said, watching Zaith leave.

Slowly, Raven walked into the room, reading another large book that she found interesting. She sat down in what appeared to be a cozy chair in one of the corner and gazed into her book, reading intently.

Shadow also entered the room, seconds after Raven had. He headed for the fridge and pulled a jug of orange juice out, placing it upon the counter. He then got a glass from on the cabinets nearby and began to pour the juice into it.

Beast Boy, who was currently playing his game with Cyborg, began to talk about his dream to the others, discussing his unique nightmare.

"… And just as I heard that weird laughing again, I woke up in a pool of sweat on the floor." He said after a somewhat long winded story.

Just as Shadow finished drinking his glass and had placed it down onto the counter, he spoke to the others.

"That's strange, that's the same dream I had."

"I also had a similar dream." Star Fire said.

"Same here." Terra said as she tossed some pancakes into the air, catching them in her skillet.

"Normally, when several people share a dream, there is usually some sort of connection between the dream and reality." Raven said, not taking her eyes off of her book. "I had the same dream, just so you know."

"I had that dream too. What about you, Cyborg?" Night Wing asked.

"Me too, but why are we al having this dream?"

"Well, it could be some sort of sign." Raven said, looking up from her book.

"What kind of sign?" Terra said, serving the pancakes onto a large plate.

"Maybe of some impending doom, but we can't be sure. But we should be careful; we don't know what could happen."

"I Think Zaith had the game dream as well." Night Wing said.

"Why do you say that?" Terra asked.

"Well, he said he had dozed off down here, so he could have seen the same dream while he was asleep. That could explain why he acted so strangely earlier as well." Night Wing said.

Elsewhere, Zaith had made his way to a Barnes Nobles/ Star Bucks and was reading a novel. Described as being the next Lord of the Ring's, Zaith thought it might be a good read. He took another sip from his espresso, and then turned the page, continuing to read this book.

"Hmm… interesting." He said, talking to himself about the book.

As he read, he took a quick look around, finding nothing of interest. He then went back to his espresso, took a small sip, and then turned to his book. As he did, a thin flash of light flew through the window, leaving a hole no larger then Zaith's finger in the glass. He looked at the counter he sat at, and found and arrow imbedded into it.

Then, looking quickly outside, he saw a group of three running past the store, holding onto a bag of what looked like jewelry. Just down the street in the opposite direction, a woman in her early twenties was sprinting with a bow in hand. She drew and arrow and shot towards the group. It flew true, striking the bag from their hands.

Zaith arose and quickly ran out of the store, leaving both the book and the espresso. Once outside, he noticed that by then, the archer had shot at least six arrows already, as the convicts we pinned to the wall, arrows in their clothing. She held her bow in front of then, ready to fire another arrow into one of their heads.

Quickly, Zaith went forward and raised her bow just before she released. The arrow was sent just above one of their heads, which scarred him so much he pissed himself.

"What are you doing?" The archer said in annoyance.

"I should ask you the same thing, you could have killed them."

"I know what I'm doing." She said as she raised her bow and slapped him in the face with the end of it. She then ran away, trying to get away from Zaith. He followed her, making sure not to run into anyone.

Zaith followed her into an alleyway, losing sight of her as he turned the corner.

"Man where did she go!" He said aloud.

Suddenly, another flash of light came towards his leg, and suddenly he found himself falling to the floor. The arrow had grazed his leg, giving him only a minor flesh wound, but the pain was enough to bring him down for a moment.

Another flash of light came towards his head, but he caught it and tossed it away.

"Stop, I don't want to hurt you, I just want to talk." Zaith said, trying to negotiate.

"Why should I trust you?" Said a harsh voice.

"Because I'm one of the good guys."

A clank could be heard from above as something moved, and as Zaith looked, he found the archer standing on the iron stairway that served as a fire escape.

"I can't believe you would harm a defenseless man."

"A man should be able to defend himself."

"You're harsh."

Zaith ran up the wall and made his way to the bottom steps of the fire escape. He then made his way up the stairs until he was next to the archer, who had her bow aimed at him. When he had made it to the same floor as the woman, she began to speak to him, now in more of a fearful tone.

"Stay away from me, you hear."

"Don't worry, I won't hurt you. You already know that though, don't you?"

"Listen, I gave up on the whole hero thing a long time ago when my hero left."

"And who was that?"

"I-I'm not telling you."

Zaith reached forward, removing the arrow from the bow. He tossed it to the side, and then began to speak again.

"Listen, I'm not going to hurt you. But I do need to ask you some questions, like why wee you attacking those people?"

"They're criminals, and they stole jewelry that wasn't theirs. I was stopping them."

"Okay, next who are you?"

"You don't need to know that." She said as she put the bow onto her back. She then turned around and jumped off of the stairs back into the alley. She landed, and then began to run away.

"Hey, where are you going!" Zaith yelled.

"Away from you!" She yelled back.

"Well don't do anything stupid next time, alright!"

And so the archer ran away into the distance, disappearing from his sight. 'We'll meet again… I just know it.' Zaith thought to himself.

* * *

I'm not too worried on what you think of the story so far. Right now I've been juggleing two... three video games at the same time, aswell as have a massive rush of ideas for a story that shall not reach this bastion of writing. The story should be getting better right after this, but I needed alittle to get the story going for me, which would have to be the last two chapters.

Anyway, review me for... whatever reasons, I shall read them ( I like to cuz it make me a better writer). I'm going to bed. Night.

Zzzzzz... ZZZzzzzzz... Suikoden III... Yeah its aged, but its the junkage!... ZZZzzzzz...


	6. Crying Woman

Sorry, I've been busy with several things during the last couple of weeks, so it has been a while since I typed. New Jersey SUCKS for its evil testing! Oh well, I'll live.

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans, but I do watch the show.

* * *

Chapter 6: Crying Woman

As the day progressed, Zaith eventually made his way back to the Tower. There was little for him to do at the time of his arrival, as the others had left the Tower, apparently feeling bored of their confines.

Zaith walked up the long steps that made the stairway, the sound of his footsteps his only friend in the lonely building. His room was much the same, silent, save for the hum of the air conditioning.

Zaith yawned lightly, and then began to scratch his chin. "Maybe I shut get some sleep. I've got nothing better to do."

Slowly, he lied down onto his bed, leaving his clothing on. Zaith found it hard to sleep, as the thought of the un-named archer continued to loom in his thoughts. Even in the slumber that soon followed, he thought much of her.

As the day wore on, The Titans returned, but were soon called to duty when Mumbo was seen robbing a jewelry store. The group did not wait for Zaith, as their numbers would surely have outmatched the strange magician.

Nightfall soon came, and the Titans returned home for some well earned rest. Slowly, the each separated to form their own paths through the quiet halls. Shadow followed Raven into her room, as he had been doing for the last five months. Sweet slumber came for Raven and Shadow, as well as the rest of the team.

A figure had followed the team though, but had yet to enter the building. The person had managed to climb the slick surface of the outer walls, an amazing feat to see, had the person been caught. The climber looked into every window, apparently searching for something specific. Upon finding what the person was looking for, he (or she) opened the window and quietly entered the room.

After closing the window, the figure reached behind his or herself and grabbed a shiny object. The person walked over to the bed and pointed the object in front of Zaith's face, which did not stir from the movements around him. The person reached behind once more, this time wielding a thin object and placing it onto the other one.

"I can't let you do it. I can't let you live." The person said quietly.

The voice rang in Zaith's ear, its familiarity coming to his mind. Quickly, he reached into his coat and drew a black object out. With it pointed at his attacker, he spoke out loud, making himself heard.

"Do it and you won't live to see five minuets from now." He threatened.

"What are you gonna do, shot me?" Said the voice. From Zaith's standpoint, the voice sound very feminine, but he could care less at the moment.

"Put it down. Now!"

Realizing Zaith's seriousness, she lowered her weapon and placed it gently on the ground. Zaith, in turn, put his gun back into his jacket. After that, he rolled off of the bed to his right, away from the stranger. He flicked the lamp next to him on, practically blinding his assailant.

The image of the stranger shocked him to the core. A tall, dark haired woman stood next to his bed, her hand in front of her face, shielding her eyes from the light. She stood almost 5'8, and from the looks of her body, she was fit and could have only weighed about one hundred ten pounds at most. Her hair came past her shoulders to just above her hips. Light colored (almost cream) skin and green, gentle eyes shown on her face as Zaith looked at her.

As for her attire, a small, black shirt covered her torso (save for the bra she most likely wore). A dark green 'V' could be seen running across the front of her shirt, yet the back remained a mystery to him at the moment. Her arms were bare, except for the small bracelet that she had on her left wrist. It was a band of green beads held together by a piece of elastic rubber. Each bead had a symbol from the Japanese language, but Zaith could not decipher it at the moment.

Going farther down, a pair of black grago pants traced her thighs and calves. The bottom creases of the pants were torn, most likely from walking barefoot around the household. Her feet were in black Nike shoes, and the sign shown green, like her eyes.

Zaith returned to her face, and upon seeing the gentle eyes of his assailant (who had finally adjusted to the sudden light), he finally placed the face. He had seen her hours earlier, when the criminals were caught by a woman with a bow in her hand.

"What are you doing here?" Zaith asked harshly.

"None of your business." The woman said abruptly.

"It's my business when I almost get killed. Now explain yourself."

"I'm protecting my future." She said, turning away from Zaith.

"What do you mean?" He asked but received no reply.

"Fine, you don't want to talk. Hand me your bow."

She turned to Zaith, a single tear rolling down her cheek. Zaith showed no sign of concern for her in his eyes, and disappointedly, she kneeled and grasped the bow. She tossed it to him, which he caught without taking his eyes off of her.

Suddenly, she tried to run to the door, but with the bow in hand, Zaith aimed and shot the single arrow still on the bow at her. It snagged the end of her pants, causing the woman to fall onto the floor.

Zaith tossed the bow onto his bed, and then slowly walked over to the stranger. He knelt down next to her, finding more tears in her eyes.

"What's wrong?"

She remained silent, facing away from him, as if his question brought a knife to her face. Upon seeing this, he reached for the arrows and removed it from her pants, freeing her from her bonds. She tried to run away from Zaith again, only to be caught once more, this time by Zaith's strong hands.

Her eyes filled up with more tears, and she pursed her lips, trying to conceal the sobs she wanted to release. Zaith stood up and began to pull her towards the bed. She tried to pull away, only to find an unwavering grip. Once next to the bed, he spoke quietly to the woman he held onto.

"Sit down."

She did as she was told, sitting down onto the bed, still holding in as of her much crying as possible. Zaith let go of her hand, which she retracted and placed in her lap onto the other. He sat down next to her, and with a somewhat strange gesture, held his arms open, as if welcoming a hug.

"Wha?" The woman asked.

"I know you need to cry, but I won't just let you cry alone thinking there's no one that cares."

Suddenly more tears came to her eyes, and she lunged into his chest, sobbing hysterically. She raised her hands and began pounding on his chest, and a single word escaped her lips in an understandable language.

"WHY!"

Zaith wrapped his arms around the woman, holding her compassionately. He could feel his shirt begin to moisten as she cried into his shoulder, muffling her moans of sadness from the outside world. This seemed to her the only refuge available in her time of distress, and the unwelcome world was not allowed to invade her trust of this one man.

Time passed, seconds, minuets, hours. What felt like an eternity she cried into his beating chest, and he sat there motionless, holding her almost lovingly. He was gentle in her time of need, though many would reason that it would not be appropriate to do the same for a crying woman.

* * *

I've got the rest of the weekend, as well as the week to write another chapter, so it shouldn't take too long. And es the whole Mumbo was retarded and probably unnesesary. But it gave me another paragraph to explain what happened from time to time. Well, review if you liked or hated it, or if you have to tell me of an error or whatever. Cya.


	7. Zombies, Demons, and Screaming Girls

Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans, but I do watch the show. And all the characters I add are either mine or Shadow12002's.

* * *

Chapter 7: Zombies, Demons, and Screaming Girls

* * *

Eventually, the woman pulled away from Zaith, her eyes out of tears to cry. She dried her eyes on a bit of the collar from her shirt, and dusted the sand with her fingers.

Zaith arose from the bed, leaving his jacket behind on the bed. He then removed the moist shirt and tossed it to the floor next to the bed post, revealing his well toned upper body. He walked over to his dresser and opened one of the drawers, then began to rummage through it, searching for something. Quickly he pulled out a plain black shirt and put it on, covering himself.

Slowly, Zaith placed his firm, yet gentle hands onto the edges of the drawer, then lowered his head to one side, apparently deep in thought.

"What's your name?" He said.

"My name… It's Velia Locklier." She responded.

"Velia, huh… May I ask you a question?"

"I suppose so." Velia said, though it sounded as if she didn't want to.

"Earlier, you said that you were trying to protect your future. What did you mean by that?"

"I…" She began to speak, but could not finish her sentence. What she wanted to say seemed to bring pain to her heart.

"Velia, I understand if you don't want to talk about it, but I need to know what's wrong, or else I won't be able to help you."

"And how do you think you can help me! I don't need therapy."

"But you might need a friend."

"… Alright, I'll talk. It all started a few weeks ago. I began to have these strange dreams where things began to happen to my friends. They would vanish, float in the air. It was like a weird episode of 'The Exorcist' or something. Some where in the middle, I saw…" She paused, as of fearing her next thought.

"What did you see?"

"I saw you, murdered by the hands of your teammates… Or at least something that looked like them. Eventually your friends changed into some strange beast, which held your friends in its arms. This… thing stood on top of this building, as if waiting for something. But behind it, the city… It…"

"What? What was wrong with the city?"

"It… it was on fire. Monsters traveled the streets, killing everyone in their way. People jumped from windows, killed themselves with guns… It was horrible." Velia began to tear again, but managed to control herself from crying like before.

"Did you talk to anyone about this dream?"

"I've talked to the father at my church before, but he found it hard to believe. The only thing he aid was that god has a plan for us all, and that I will discover mine in due time."

"So lately you've been a bit edgy from this dream of yours."

"Yeah… A few days ago, I went to speak with a fortune teller. She said that someone will intervene with the justice I bring in a matter of days. I asked if there was anyway I could tell him apart from everyone else, only to be told of a strange dream, and that he will bring about my doom."

"So let me guess, when I got in your way earlier, you thought I was the person she spoke of."

"I bet you don't believe me, but what I'm saying about the dream and all... I think it really will happen."

"I do believe you. I've been having a similar dream lately, but I hadn't known of anything you saw past the part where I get killed. I always wake in after that, sweating and breathing heavily."

"You've been having the dream too? This can't be good."

"I think it's some sort of premonition. Why else would we be sharing the same dream, along with the other Titans?"

"They have the dream as well."

"Yes, I'm sure they do, but I don't think they all know it yet."

Suddenly, the door opened, the sound causing the twos head to snap to the side. Star Fire stood in the door way, dressed in a dark purple night gown. Her eyes were closed, and the crud could still be seen in them.

"Friend Zaith, may I speak to you? I saw that your light was on so…" Star Fire said, apparently still tired from her sleep.

"Sure Star. What's up?" Zaith said calmly.

Star Fire trudged over to the bed and sat down next to Zaith, completely ignoring the fact that someone else was also in the room. "I have had what you call a 'nightmare', and I can not sleep. Is there anything you can do to help me go back to sleep?"

"Before I do, can you please tell me what happened during this nightmare?" Zaith asked.

"Alright. At first, I thought I had felt something cold in the room, so I got off of the bed and checked the 'thermostat', but it said the temperature was fine. I then left the room and started to o down the stairs. On the sixth floor, I saw something on the floor, and when I got closer to it, I found out it was blo…"

"Star Fire, is something wrong?" Zaith said, noticing the new expressions on her face.

Star Fire's eyes were now wide open, as if she were seeing something terrifying. He mouth was open as well, but there was no noise coming from her. Her eyes seemed to look past Zaith at something behind him.

Zaith turned his head quickly to see what she was looking at. What he saw completely disgusted him. Beyond Velia (who was now bending over into her lap, hiding her eyes) were what looked to be zombies of sorts. Their flesh was decaying, their motion was sloppy, and their clothing was torn. Their eye glowed red, and blood trickled out of their mouths. There had to be at least fifteen of them standing behind the bed.

In front of the group of zombies stood what looked like a six year old girl. Her dress was completely black and stained with blood, which began to pool at the ground. Her dark hair covered her faces, and her arms hung in front of her, due to her leaning forward.

Suddenly, she raised her head, her eyes glowing red like the others. She opened her mouth, and her voice rang in the ears of the three on the bed. They all covered their ears with their hands, trying to protect themselves from the screeches of the girl. Zaith raised his head as he heard the scream through his hands, and saw the zombies begin to walk toward the bed.

Quickly, he drew his sword, which lay on the ground next to the bed. He stood up, and almost immediately, he began to slash at the decaying beasts that came towards the three. Arms, legs, and other limbs fell to the ground as blood squirted into the air, covering the walls in the red paint. The silver metal swung time and again at the damned beings that stood in front of Zaith, who could barely hear from the infernal song of the little girl.

After dealing with at least twelve of the zombies, Zaith swung his sword at the girl, relieving her of her head. Silence filled the room once more, save for the screaming from the ladies, and the moans of the zombies still standing. Zaith quickly dealt with the zombies, and then rushed back to the two on his bed.

"Are you two alright?" Zaith said, though he could barely hear himself, as his ears still rang from the screams of the girl.

The two nodded, and then Zaith spoke again.

"Velia, meet Star Fire. Star, meet Velia." The two looked at each other, nodded, then looked back at Zaith.

"Now that the introductions are over, Velia, grab your bow. After that, I need the two of you to follow me out of the room, ok."

Velia nodded, and then rolled across his bed. She fell off, and then landed just behind her bow in a crouch position. He stood up, bow in hand, then walked over to the tall man she had been crying on just moments earlier.

Star Fire stood up as well, and then the three began to leave Zaith's room. Zaith opened the door and then slowly poked his head into the hallway for a look around. Finding nothing, he walked carefully into the empty hallway, and then stopped suddenly.

Velia followed after Zaith, ten stopped after noticing something. Star fire followed as well, and noticed that he she passed through the doorway, her gown disintegrated into the regular attire she usually wore.

Once in the hallway, Star Fire saw what the other two has stopped to look at as well. The hallway had been cleared of all the walls, and only a large room with two staircases remained. The floors and walls were painted with blood from several corpses that were scattered across the room, all of which were missing at least one body part. Heads, arms, and legs were spread across the room, leaving trails of blood where they had fallen.

But the bloody room and deformed body parts worried the three the least. In fact, their eyes were drawn to three strange demonic beasts that lay on the ground, apparently rolling in the blood and knowing on the bones of their victims. One noticed the three humans in the room, giving a strange roar before charging towards them.

Zaith stopped it with his bare hands, only to find the fur to be incredibly hot. He tossed it to his side, then drew his sword and cut it into two. It died on the spot as it disintegrated into a cloud of sparks. The other two beasts were dealt with by Velia and Star fire, as they used their projectile arsenal of attacks, instead of the melee style combat that Zaith used.

"Great, demons… We have to find the others." Zaith said as he began to walk forward, his sword still in hand.

"This… is just like my dream." Star Fire and Velia both said as they turned and followed Zaith through the blood filled room.

* * *

I guess the rest of the story is just me wanting to play DOOM 3. Hey the first two were the junkage! Send me a review or what ever, stuff shall happen, but I don't know how yet. Later.


	8. TRIGON

Disclaimer: You already know what I'm going to say.

* * *

Chapter 8: TRIGON

* * *

"Zaith, wait." Velia said.

"What's wrong?"

"There's something one your hand. Let me see it."

Zaith lifted his left hand and placed it into Velia's, who took it graciously and began to inspect it. Almost at sight, she was shocked at what she saw. Burn marks the center of his palm, and blood trickled from his wound.

"When did this happen?" Velia asked.

"Probably when I tossed that thing earlier; its fur felt like it was on fire when I touched it."

"Let me see your other hand." She said, releasing Zaith's hand.

Zaith lifted his sword, and then dug it into the ground so that it would not fall. He then placed his right hand into hers, who found similar results on it. After a moment, she released is hand, then began to speak.

"Take your jacket off." Velia said firmly.

"What!" Zaith said in response.

"I need your shirt, now take off your jacket."

"Alright." Zaith said.

Zaith gave a small sigh, and then took off his jacket as instructed. Once off, he tossed it onto the sword, and then waited for Velia to speak again.

Velia moved towards Zaith, and then raised her hand to his cheek. After a moment, Zaith became lax, though confused as to why her hand lay on his cheek. Slowly, she lowered her hand to his left shoulder, where she took hold of his shirt and then tore off his sleeve.

"What are you doing?" Zaith asked.

"Helping."

Velia took the sleeve she tore off and wrapped Zaith's hand, tying a small knot on the back of his hand so it wouldn't come off. Immediately after that, she tore his right sleeve off and began to do the same to his right hand.

Zaith then put his jacket back on and grasped his sword with his right hand.

"Thanks, Velia." Zaith said, nodding to her slightly. "Come on Star, let's go."

There was no reply or movement when he said that, so he turned around, finding only the blood spattered walls from before. There was no sign of Star Fire, and the only sound that was audible at the moment was the two's breathing.

Suddenly, a scream was heard above them, most likely on the next floor.

"That was Star Fire's voice!" Zaith said.

He began to run to the far end of the room, where the staircase that led upstairs was. Velia followed him as he climbed the stairs, racing to find his friend. Once the two reached the next floor, they stopped in confusion, as they found nothing in the room, not even blood or a door.

"What? Where did she go?" Velia said.

Suddenly, a piece of the ceiling came down, and a cloud of dust rose from the rubble. As it cleared, Zaith and Velia could see red light coming from a hole in the ceiling.

"NNNOOOOOOO!"

"That was her! Come on!" Zaith said as he ran to the pile then jumped to the next floor. Velia ran to the pile, but had to climb up the larger pieces of rubble, as she could not jump as high.

"Here." Zaith said as he reached down and grasped Velia's arm. He pulled her to the next floor, and once she got her bearing, Velia began to dust herself off. Once she was done, she took a look around, but stopped as she saw the look of the city.

Black clouds littered a flaming red sky, which replaced the usual sky blue people were used to. The bay changed from its dark blue and sea green to a blood red, and thousands, if not millions of corpses filled the water and covered the shores. Strange beasts like those from earlier crossed the beaches and roamed the streets, maiming all those that got in there path.

The cities building lay in dismay, and many sky scrappers and other buildings crumbled into the streets. Many were caught on fire, as zombies and skeletons could be seen rummaging through he rubble of the buildings, searching for something to kill. Were pipes could be seen through the pavement, and the streets seemed to have been in a single jagged line through main street, as if an earthquake had struck the city.

As the two looked on, pillars began to rise from the ground throughout the city, and with them, thousands of skulls littered the ground around them. Dark tentacles came as well, and they immediately began to grasp at anything moving around them. One grabbed a human running from some zombies; another grabbed a hound like beast, such as those from before. All that were taken were crushed, and then left to die as they fell to the ground.

Velia, terrified at what she saw, moved over to Zaith and held onto his sleeve, finding support in him. Zaith wrapped his arms around, understanding her fear.

"What the hell I going on." Zaith said as he continued to look on in horror.

Just then, the floor beneath them began give way to their weight, and they to began to fall. Flight after flight, they passed sets of stairs. As the wind ran through their hair, they came ever closer to the ground, and in an attempt to stop, Zaith grabbed Velia's leg and a guard rail from the staircase. They stopped, but a moment later, the rail gave way, and the two fell some more. Zaith quickly grabbed onto another rail, and then tossed Velia on the stairs.

"Oww…" She said after landing onto one of the many steps. She began to rub her pain, trying to relieve the pain.

Zaith jumped over the rail, landing next Velia.

"You alright?" He asked.

"Yeah… I'll be fine." She said as she stood up. "Where are we?"

Zaith went to the guard rail and looked over the edge. After a moment, he looked back at Velia and began to speak again.

"It would seem we are on the seventh floor." He said as he began to slowly walk down the steps.

"Where are you going?" Velia asked.

"The sixth floor."

Upon reaching the next floor, he saw a pool of blood under the door, which he soon opened. Velia followed him, and saw what looked to be a blood spattered corridor. The walls had many battle scars, as cuts and breaks covered all the walls.

The two, now weapon less, took several steps into the hallway, only to be greeted to a sinister laugh, which Zaith remembered all to well. Several more steps into the hallway, a light blinded the two, and when the light dimmed, a person stood in front of them, their hair hanging in front of their face.

Zaith moved forward, ignoring the person. The light flickered, and the person vanished. He began to run to the end of the hallway, followed by a frightened Velia. At the end of the hallway, a single door formed the exit. Zaith went to grasp the handle, but Velia stopped him from doing so.

"Please… don't."

"You've already seen this in your dreams right?"

"And I don't want to see you die again."

"I'm not dieing… not this time."

Zaith drew his gun out, and then opened the door. A crazed woman rushed towards Zaith, only to be met with a solid door. Slowly, Zaith opened the door once more, finding a new, and much more color scene.

Purple lined the room, and in the middle was Star Fire, lying down on her bed.

"Star Fire!" Velia said as she took several steps into the room.

"Wait. Remember the dream, that isn't Star Fire."

Just then, Star Fire rose, and the sight bothered Velia. Her arms were gone, as well as her breasts, her faced was charred from flame, and her hair was a complete mess. Velia took several steps backwards, walking into Zaith, who did not budge.

Blood began to splatter the walls, the floor vanished into black nothingness, and spikes came down from the ceiling, encircling Star Fire's bed. Star Fire began to morph into a four legged beast like the ones earlier, and then charged at Zaith, breaking through the spikes. Zaith, anticipating what would happen next, stood there motionless.

The beast became a mist of black smoke, and then before it could reach the two, both Velia and Zaith began to fall backwards. They entered a strange abyss, and when the blackness left their eyes, they were greeted by what looked like Raven's room.

As they landed, Zaith spoke quietly to Velia.

"Watch the door for me alright."

She nodded, and then turned around, finding a shadowy figure next to the door. Raven arose from her bed and moved towards Zaith.

"Zaith, are you alright?" Raven asked.

"I'm fine. But who ever you are, you're going to hell!" Zaith said as he raised his gun to Raven's face and pulled the trigger. Then, Zaith quickly turned and shot the figure in the heart, and as the figure fell to the ground, the hood fell backwards, revealing himself to be Shadow.

"Come on!" Zaith said as he hurried to the door. Velia followed him, and when they passed through the doorway, they found themselves back on the roof, looking out to the city.

"ZAITH!"

Zaith turned around, only to find two things. One, all of his friends, including Velia, had been locked into a large metal cage. Two, a very large beast that stood on two legs was directly behind the cage.

"Red skin, loin cloth, white hair... Something says very ominous." Zaith said sarcastically.

"Zaith be careful!" Raven said from inside the cage.

"KNEEL BEFORE ME, HUMAN, FOR I AM TRIGON THE TERRIBLE!" Said the large beast/person/thing. It was more like a roar, but he was pretty big, so it might seem normal to Trigon.

"Riiiight… But seriously dude, you need a breath mint. I recommend some Tic Tacs." Zaith said.

"I DON'T BELIEVE YOU UNDERSTAND WHO I AM, FOOLIH HUMAN!"

Trigon bent over and clutched Zaith, who tried to dodge, but was unsuccessful. Slowly, he began to crush Zaith in his palm, who began to squirm out of his hand. Trigon squeezed harder and harder, and with the intense pain, Zaith found it hard to stop from screaming.

"AAAHHH! LET… GOO OF ME YOU ASSHOLLLLLLLEEEEEEE! AAAAHHHHHH! SHIIITTTTTTTT! AAHHHHHH!"

"HHMM, YOUR NOT DEAD YET!... I'LL JUST SAVE YOU FOR LATER, THAT WAY I CAN HEAR YOUR SCREAMS OF PAIN TIME AND AGAIN! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Trigon then carefully opened the door to the cage and tossed Zaith in. He shut it, and then spoke once again.

"I HOPE YOU ENJOY THE ACCOMIDATIONS. AFTER ALL, I WOULDN'T WANT MY NEW TOY TO BREAK SO EASILY! ANYWAY, I SHALL BE BACK SHORTLY; I JUST HAVE A PLANET TO DESTROY!"

Thus, Trigon jumped off of the building, headed towards the city. His landing in the sea of red could be heard high above.

The others rushed over to Zaith, who was now breathing quite heavily.

"Zaith, are you alright?" They all said at once, though it was hard to tell for Zaith at the moment.

"…Yeah, I'll be (cough, cough) fine."


End file.
